An off-duty police officer unwittingly sparked confusion following the discovery of a severed head.
The officer contacted the owner of a missing pet to tell him she believed the decapitated head of the dog had been found - only for police to later reveal they had not identified what animal the head belonged to.
German Shepherd Husky cross, Gaz, went missing at 8pm on Friday near the Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth, with owner Curt Johnson believing that Gaz had been stolen.
But on Wednesday night, having seen posts on Facebook about Gaz, the police officer called Mr Johnson to tell him a dog’s head had been found in Roman Place.
Mr Johnson said: “She said having spoken to the environmental ranger that they believed it was my dog, but it was so gruesome that she said she couldn’t tell me over the phone.
“I went down to the council on Wednesday morning and went to Churchill Road where the fridge is where they store things like this.
“A lady came out and said she would not allow me to see the dog because it is so gruesome.
“I told her I needed to because I could identify it from its eyes, because it’s got one blue and one brown - she said its got no eyes.
“I said well I will know from its ears because it has a scar on one - she said its got no ears.
“I said well its got a different colour to its nose - she said its nose is missing.
“I said well can’t we get the teeth checked out with the vets - she said there’s hardly any teeth.
“I said are you kidding me? What on earth has this dog gone through?”
But on Thursday, police got in touch with Mr Johnson to advise they could not be sure the head belonged to a dog until specialists had examined it.
Mr Johnson said he held no grudge against the officer who originally suggested the head was his dog’s.
He said: “I feel a lot better, I’m not as upset and hurt as I was yesterday, but I wasn’t told it was 100pc my dog in the first place.
“I’m one of those people who likes to know, even if it is horrible news, because it helps you move forward.”
In a statement, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “Following a public report earlier this week, the council collected an animal head which had been found in the Roman Place car park.”
A police spokesman said investigations were ongoing.
If you’ve seen Gaz, call Mr Johnson on 07796411722.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here